PART 2 OF A TWO-PART WEBINAR SERIES

Professional Development Redesign: Lessons From the Field

May 13, 20152:00 – 3:00pm

Welcome!

Vera Turner AASA Project Manager

and Webinar Host

Thank you for joiningus for today’s webinar.

Logistics:

• Access the audio for today’s webinar either via your computer or phone.

Webinar Participation:• We have allotted time for

Q&A, but you can submit questions at any time.

• Please use the chat window to submit questions. In the dropdown menu, select “All Participants” and then type your question in the chat box.

• Overview: – iPD Challenge Grant Initiative– iPD Theory of Action

• District Case Studies:– Syracuse City School District– Fulton County Schools– Miami-Dade County Public Schools

• Panel Discussion and Q & A

• Additional Resources

• Wrap Up

Agenda:

PANELISTS:

Syracuse City School District (NY )Paula Shannon, Chief Academic Officer

Margaret Wilson, Director of Professional Development

Fulton County Schools (GA) Lydia Conway, Executive Director, Professional Learning

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (FL)Tricia Fernandez, Administrative Director, Evaluation

MODERATOR:Vera Turner, Project Manager

AASA, The School Superintendents Association (VA)

Presenters:

Superintendents and teachers agree that current professional development systems are not operating at peak effectiveness.

Critical Question:

How do we reimagine professional learning experiences to engage teachers and improve student achievement?

Innovative Professional Development (iPD) ChallengeHelps districts redesign their teacher professional development systems to better support teachers in increasing student success.

Initiative is made possible by the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• 23 districts & charters• 8 networks (includes AASA’s

Superintendent Leadership for iPD Assessment and Redesign Initiative)

• 52,000 teachers in pilot work• Free Resources availalbe at

www.pdredesign.org

iPD Theory of Action:

Paula ShannonChief Academic Officer

Margaret Wilson Director of Professional Development

The Struggle for a World Class School District

One of the largest in New York State

K-12 : 19,500 students Pre-Kindergarten:1,500

37 Schools/Programs High: 6 Middle: 6 K-8: 5 Elementary: 16 Alternative Programs: 4

SCSD Strategic Plan 2012-2017

Vision

To become the most improved urban school district in America

• Adopted by Syracuse City School District Board of Education August 22, 2012

• An educational community that graduates every student as a responsible, active citizen prepared for success in college, careers, and the global economy.

SCSD Targeted Outcomes

College and technical school enrollment

Graduating from high School in 4 years

Ready for college and career success at the end of 11th

On track to graduate at the end of 9th

Prepared for HS at the end of 8th

Prepared for MS at the end of 5th

Reading to learn at the end of 3rd

SCSD Professional Development Systems Structure:

• Department-driven

• Assortment of offerings and structures

• Six sessions through year focusing on operational and instructional leadership

• Priorities from each division – Office of Shared Accountability, Talent Management, Teaching and Learning

Summer Leadership Academy

Summer Teacher Institutes Leadership Academy

• Department-driven

• Assortment of offerings and structures

Saturday Academy

• Coaching, school-based, Superintendent Conference Days, technical assistance

Job Embedded

SCSD PD Assessment Process:

Administered to Four Key Groups:•Central Office Leadership (Teaching & Learning Staff)•Building Leadership (Principals & Vice-Principals)•Superintendent’s Teacher Advisory Council (Teacher Reps.)•C3 Work Group (Teacher Content Leaders)

Goal: Maximize stakeholder input and buy-in for redesign plan.

Assessment debrief participants:•Superintendents Senior Leadership•Syracuse Teachers Association Leadership•Syracuse Association for Administrators and Supervisors Leadership

SCSD PD Challenges:

PD Process •Lack of evidence-based framework to identify individual PD needs•Limited delivery models•Student feedback nonexistent in informing teacher PD

Leadership Capacity•Inadequate internal capacity to manage major change initiatives •Lack of clarity around PD structures, supports, and initiatives

Data and Delivery Infrastructures•Data capture and access•Ease of access to online and offline training and content•Digital PD Platform Capability

Best Practices

Supportive Policies•Multi-year focus on CCSS and purposeful links within PD structures•Teacher choice

High Quality Content and Tools•Systems aligned to CCSS instructional shifts and college, career-ready bar•CCSS has been adopted and strong CCCS specific PD has been made available to all our staff.

SCSD Professional Development Systems Structure:

Knowledge, Community, ToolsKnowledge, Community, Tools

Targeted, virtual, self-driven opportunities for learningTargeted, virtual, self-driven opportunities for learning

Digital Badges

Lydia Conway Executive Director, Professional

Learning

District Overview:• 4th largest school system in Georgia• More than 10,500 full-time employees, including

more than 7,500 teachers and other certified personnel

• 101 schools• Approximately 96,300 students • 58 elementary schools, 19 middle schools, 17 high

schools (includes two open campus high schools) and 7 charter organizations

• Became the state's largest charter system in July of 2012

• Charter system status allows for flexibility beyond the one-size-fits-all state education requirements and supports our schools in developing strategies to support the unique needs of their students

Professional Development Systems Structure:

Professional Development Systems Structure:

• Provide professional learning for all employees• A blended approach to PD (i.e., on-line, on-demand, face to

face, cohort, and job embedded)• A solid PD structure – people and tools to meet the needs• A shift from “one and done” to ongoing learning• PD is a part of the performance management conversation

PD Assessment Process:

Highlights of Our Readiness Assessment Process:

• A diverse cross-section of principals, teachers, curriculum leaders and support staff were invited to participate

• We received full participation • After survey was closed participants convened in

small group and large group discussion• Participants completed a “current state vs Future

State” PD activity• Commonalities Emerged

PD Challenges:

• Teacher Engagement- extent to which teachers work together as a professional community to share responsibility for the group’s performance

• PD Process- lack of an evidenced based framework to identify individual needs and feedback from students does not inform PD

• Leadership Capacity- innovative vision and internal capacity to manage change

• Resource Optimization-use of time, money and staff• Supportive Policies-policies that support PD

implementation• Delivery Infrastructure-easy access to PD and a

technology platform• Data Infrastructure-access to data to inform PD

Best Practices

• Reinforce- PLC as PD via school based Professional Learning Facilitators

• Identify student feedback that informs PD• Provide PD to leaders that supports continuous

feedback to teachers that addresses school wide as well as individual PD goals

PD Redesign Plans

Tricia Fernandez, Administrative Director, Evaluation

District Overview:

School District Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Type of District UrbanGrade Served PK - 12Student Population 350,000% FRM Students 75% Caucasian 10% African American 28% Hispanic/Latino 61% Asian 1% Other 1

Professional Development Systems Structure:

• Teacher Growth and Development

• Evaluation

• Leadership Development

PD Assessment Process:

PD Challenges:

• PD Process

• Resource Optimization

• High-Quality Content and Tools

Best Practices

•Leadership Capacity

•Data Infrastructure

PD Redesign Plans

Q & A:

Panel DiscussionJoin in the conversation using the chat feature.

Resources:

Contact Information:Lydia Conway conwayL@fultonschools.org

Tricia Fernandez tfernandez1@dadeschools.netPaula Shannon pshannon@scsd.us Margaret Wilson mwilson@scsd.us

Vera Turner vturner@aasa.org

Resources:

Additional Resources:

AASA Superintendent Leadership for iPD Assessment and Redesign Initiative

www.aasa.org/iPD.aspxCourageous Leadership Conversation video

Professional Development Redesign Websitewww.PDRedesign.org

MDRC Innovative Professional Development

www.mdrc.org/project/innovative-professional-development-ipd#overview

Thank you!